Adventures in Traveling

Perhaps we ought to write a book about our many adventures while traveling, it seems there have been so many of late. This week, we are in Asheville, North Carolina attending a conference our denomination is holding. As it didn't begin until mid-afternoon today, we decided to leave Jackson on Sunday after church in order to have a little bit of down-time in the mountains. The plan was to drive to Cherokee, North Carolina on Sunday and stay the night. Then, we'd get up very early so that we could see the sunrise from Cades Cove--one of the two best times a day to see some wildlife. Then, we'd spend the day driving through the park, enjoing the sights. We'd spend the night off I-40 and then have a bit more time to sightsee this morning before we needed to leave for Asheville. That was the plan, anway. Sunday, about an hour from our destination, the alternator decided to go out. Miraculously the van's battery held it's charge until a few blocks from our hotel. God protected us from breaking down---at night. In the dark. In the mountains, far from aid. We did make it to the hotel, but barely. The next morning, we discovered that the nearest parts store was 17 miles away. Noticing that the van's battery was registering at the same level of charge as the previous night (when we first realized it was dying, not when we stopped for the night), we decided to give it a try. After all, if that charge was enough for us to travel for an hour with the vehicle lights on, surely it was enough to travel 17 miles with the headlights off. Wrong. Although we were on a well-traveled highway, in the four hours we sat there while Troy pulled the old alternator off (it took so long because he had to practically take off the front end of van in order to access it), the wonderful guys at the Advanced Auto in Sylva, NC brought us a new one, and Troy put everything back together, only four people stopped. Four people! The worst, though, was the sherif that slowed down and gawked at us, then waved and drove on...without stopping. Wow. Whatever happened to "serve and protect"? And whatever happened to people who are willing to help their fellow neighbor?! We got back on the road a little after 1 and had the afternoon and evening to enjoy the Smoky Mountain National Park. We even spotted 6 bears in Cades Cove at dusk! Somewhere along our stops, we noticed that the check engine light had popped on. More car trouble. Discouraged, we decided it would be best to scrap plans of any further sightseeing and just stop for the night. Here is where the Lord blessed. We chose the town of Newport, TN (right off I-40) because it had plenty of hotels AND auto-parts stores in it. Checking in at the Motel 6, we were given a family suite that had 2 bedrooms (the master considereably bigger than ours at home), a living room, and a kitchen and bathroom (again, both considerably bigger than ours at home)! The boys slept on couches in the living room, the girls took the smaller bedroom, and we had the master--giving us all a chance to spread out and relax. The best part was that it was just a little more than an regular room would cost a small family--almost half of what we normally pay for hotel stays for our big family of 6! God truly blessed us. This morning, we had the van tested and it was fine. The check engine light even went off on its own. After some discussion, we believe that that warning light was God's way of telling us to "stop!". Our plans were for our own deteriment in that we were physically exhausted. And after the extra expense of a new alternator, we didn't need to be spending more money in gas driving to places we've already seen. So we slept in a bit, took care of the errands we needed to run in town, made sure the van was okay, and then drove to the conference early. This enabled us to arive early enough to set up our table display and unpack our stuff in the room well before the first session began. God enabled us to travel safely to our desination. He provded what we needed. He even threw in an afternoon and evening of fun for the family as well as a luxurious room to crash in last night. We are thankful for His many blessings and the many ways He provides for our needs. Please be praying with us for His will to be accomplished this week at the conference. Thank you!

A Special Easter

This is the first Easter week we've celebrated since the last of our children accepted Jesus as Savior. How precious to know that when we celebrate His Resurrection tomorrow, we also celebrate the knowledge that all of our children have now found new lives in Jesus. They are no longer wandering and lost. They have been found. Hallelujah, praise God!

It makes the celebrations this week all the more poignant for us as their parents. And I know that as much as we are celebrating this Easter, our Heavenly Father celebrates with us over four little lambs that were lost but have been found.

Amen!

Final Update on the Medicaid

Well, this one didn't end like I'd hoped. To my dismay (and frankly, disgust), our caseworker's supervisor chose to sit on the application while she attended a week of meetings. Even knowing that there was a great urgency to get our benefits approved. We were forced to reschedule her procedure for June 5.

While I am completely and thoroughly disgusted with Mississippi Medicaid (and pray most fervently that this is the last year we need to go through this process), I have to acknowledge the possibility that God's hand was in this all along. Perhaps there is a reason we do not know right now as to why Tayler couldn't have this procedure at this time. He could've worked a miracle in this and provided a way. But He didn't.

So we just have to be patient and trust that His plan is best. Even when we don't always understand.

Update on the Family

The past few weeks have certainly been a roller coaster of emotions, that is for sure! We've experienced time apart, renewed closeness as a family, and many miracles -- both big and small. Through it all, God has been with us and has taught us many lessons about faith and trusting in Him for our needs.

The family finally arrived home on Tuesday afternoon! We thought last week that Troy and the kids would be home by the end of last week. But that didn't happen. The transmission took a really long time to arrive at the mechanic's shop for some reason. Anyway, Monday morning, he received the call from Mr. Ken that the van was ready. Here's the amazing blessing. When he went to pick it up, he was informed that one of the men from "The Springs" paid $300 out of his own pocket to help out with the final costs of the transmission and labor! This was a completely unlooked-for blessing from God.

By the time Troy and the kids were able to pick up Betty-Lou, it was too late in the day to drive home, so they remained one last night in the cabin and came home on Tuesday. It's been so wonderful to be able to hug my family again. To hear all about their experiences. To enjoy prayer time together in the evenings as a family. To share meals together.

Thank You for your continued prayers for us. The Medicaid situation is not finalized yet. I did receive an indication from my caseworker earlier in the week that if our paperwork was in order (and I pray it is), her supervisor was prepared to sign off on our approval. I'll call her on Monday to find out where we stand on that. In the meantime, I'll trust that there will be a positive resolution for that too, just as there was with the van.

Unexpected Lessons, Unexpected Blessings

As I've mentioned before, there was not room on campus for us after March 2. So, after staying at a very nice place that caters to folks in ministry (they don't charge, but operate solely on donations) for a week, he and the kids brought me back to campus Sunday night and went on back to the cabin. They were going to pick me up Thursday. Well, early in the week the van started acting up, so on Wednesday, Troy ended up taking it to a mechanic the manager at the cabin had referred him to. They were delayed a couple days and weren't going to be able to pick me up until Friday.

Friday, they picked up the van and were on their way back to the cabin to get our stuff when it started smoking and leaking oil. Thankfully, a sheriff pulled in behind where Troy had pulled off the road and radioed for this mechanic to come out with his tow truck. It was the transmission, unfortunately. I am very thankful for this mechanic, however. He’s an honest guy who wants his customers to get the best deal. He told Troy that he’s in the diagnosis business, not the “fix it at any cost” business. He wants to make sure he figures out exactly what the problem is and then do his best to fix just that at the lowest possible cost to his customers. We are both so thankful that the van did not break down on the road--that would’ve been the absolute worst scenario possible. Troy’s actually also thankful that it happened here, where we had a reliable mechanic, and not in Jackson. While he’s skilled enough to do the job himself, it’s not the sort of job one can do alone. And unfortunately, our more mechanically minded friends have all left Jackson. Nor does he know a reliable mechanic in the area he could really trust.

At that point, I would've had someone drive me out to join them if not for a certain voice mail I received on Wednesday. A woman from the Medicaid office called as a "courtesy call" (although there wasn't ANYTHING courteous about her tone) to let me know that I'd missed the kids' re-certification appointment and had until Friday at noon to appear for it or my case would be CLOSED. In a panic, I called her and explained that it's pretty hard to show up for an appointment that (1) you didn't even know about, and (2) when you're in a completely different state. I told her the absolute earliest I could appear was Monday. She gave me grace until Monday, but no more. And with Tayler's procedure scheduled for April 5, we could NOT afford for them to close our case! Especially since it takes them a MONTH to process the paperwork.

Since the van wasn’t ready, I went ahead and booked a flight home. I was able to find a one-way flight from Indy to Jackson (through Houston) for about $325 (all fees included). Not too bad! This is even about $200 cheaper than the flights were when I looked into flying up for my training session way back in February! And that was with less than 24 hour's notice! God definitely had His hand in that, I believe.

The problem was that I have an insanely ridiculous fear of flying (not the actual flying part. It's the GETTING to the airport and dealing with connecting flights that freaks me out. I really don't mind flying, except that takeoffs and landings always hurt my ears), but God really helped me. I was able to be calm and ask questions when needed. I mean, the last time I flew was back in '99, so things have changed a little since then.

Everyone on campus and here at home have been so good to me. One of my Hope61 co-workers drug her kids out of bed on Saturday to pick me up and take me to the airport at 7:30. Our director's husband is personally calling area churches asking if they can help us out with costs. A friend drove 30 minutes out of her way to pick up the rest of the stuff I couldn't take and then drove it out to where Troy and the kids are staying (an hour from her) so that they don't have to backtrack and pick it up once the van's fixed. A man from our church here at home picked me up at the airport and helped me put the relays back in Troy's Jeep and get the tire aired back up so it would be ready for me to drive. As he left, he even gave me a little gift card for the Kroger so that I could get myself some groceries. It ended up being just a few dollars more than what I needed to restock the house with groceries after almost six weeks away! The cabin place told Troy and the kids they can stay as long as they need to--and are even allowing them to use their personal washing machine and dryer (as there is no laundry facility on site), as well as giving them rides to and from town when needed. The wives of the managers (there are two couples managing the property) have provided several meals for them and one even sent over some “new” games for the kids to play. One of the couples had Troy and the kids over for dinner Sunday night and they all sat around and played our “Apples to Apples Family” game. So glad I brought it! A dear friend of ours even offered to give us a van and find a way to get it to Troy in Indiana!

So many other things that I can't even mention. God is providing and working out snags for us. This has been a great lesson for us on faith and trusting God for His provision. Troy told me that it's sparked some really great conversations with the kids about this, and he's thankful for all the one-on-one time he's had with them the last week. This is literally the most time he's spent with them alone, and he's loving it. On Sunday, as they couldn't go to church, the kids decided they wanted to have their own church at the cabin. They even made bulletins--complete with a section for taking notes! They sang songs, had an "offertory", and one of the kids even took notes during Troy's Bible study!

I thought Mama would love it too, but I miss my family. I'm going to use this time to get some writing done (as I wasn't able to get much done while we were gone), get some cleaning done, and just enjoy having the house to myself. That’s another gift from God in itself, actually. I was disappointed that I really didn’t have much time to write, and now God’s given me all this time by myself in a quiet house to do some catching up!

There have also been some frustrations along the road. Monday morning when I went to pick up our mail, as we'd expressly asked them to hold it at the post office until we could pick it up, as they often do, they disregarded my request. I drove all the way over there only to have the woman tell me it was out for delivery. And it was a lot, too. I shudder to think about what would've happened if I hadn't come back in time. Of course, there was the usual mail that didn't belong to us mixed in with it, one piece a package for the 722 WEST Northside Drive address (we're 722 EAST Northside Drive. We get mail for them, a daycare center, A LOT). I hope they weren't waiting for that long.

Then, I arrived at the Medicaid office and had barely sat down before my case worker informed me that they closed my case on Friday. Even though we'd spoken and I'd told her I couldn't appear until Monday. She said she had no control over it, but I think she could've gone to bat for me if she'd felt like it. I was angry, but tried to calmly explain that while the rest of my family was still stuck with a broken-down vehicle in Indiana, I'd flown back over the weekend specifically for this meeting. Then I explained WHY this was so urgent. She thawed and expressed some sympathy for Tayler at that point, promising to do her best to push the paperwork through. We'll see. She also had more paperwork that she surprised me with -- I had to go to the seminary and get someone to write a letter showing the dates Troy had been employed there. Even though it's been over six months since he last worked there and TECHNICALLY, they are only supposed to need your most current paycheck information. I went to the financial officer at the seminary, Mrs. Leigh, and started crying before I could even explain what I needed from her. I've submitted all required information. Please pray with me that she will indeed push the paperwork through and Tayler's appointment will not need to be rescheduled.

This was not at all how we anticipated the end of our time in Indiana going. By any means. But God has been faithful to provide in ways both little and big. We continue to trust that He will provide the needed funds for the transmission, that He will give the family traveling mercies as they drive back to Jackson (hopefully either Friday or Saturday), and that He will work out all the details surrounding Tayler’s heart procedure and our Medicaid status.

Exodus 14:14 - “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

1 Samuel 12:16 - “Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes.”

A Special BIRTHday

Tayler's birthday ended up being really different. There is no oven at the cabin, so I couldn't make my usual birthday muffins for her. We did get birthday decorations and put those up late Thursday night for her to enjoy. For breakfast, Troy made pancakes and we heated up some heat-and-serve sausages. The kids had school, as we really couldn't afford for them to miss--something completely new to her. I've always given the kids birthdays off. Anyway, we finished our abbreviated school day around noon and went into town for lunch at the DQ. Just as we all placed our orders, the power went off. Apparently there had been an accident and someone had slammed into the utility pole, knocking out power all up and down the strip in town---with all the fast food restaurants included. We drove around a bit, trying to find a place open, then ended up heading back to the DQ to see if their power had yet been restored. Thankfully, it had.

After lunch, we went to the laundromat to run some laundry, picked up her cake, and headed back to the cabin. Troy was going to grill these delicious sausages for the family. What I didn't know, however, is that Tayler doesn't like them. Oops! Thankfully for *her*, there was a mishap with the grill (turns out, those bacon-wrapped sausages SMOKE better than they GRILL) and the food was completely burnt to a crisp. We ended up driving into town to eat a late supper at a local restaurant.

ANYWAY. As this town is very big into Catholicism (there is a monastery and a convent in this little town), there were statues of Mary everywhere. Including in a little alcove of the restaurant right smack dab in front of our table. On the way back home, one of the kids asked why they had a statue of the Lady of Guadalupe, so we had a discussion about the differences (and similarities) between the Lady of Guadalupe and the Virgin Mary. This prompted a big theological discussion that ended with Cody making a comment that since "all of us have asked Jesus into our hearts"... We both looked at each other, momentarily uncertain as to what to say. To the best of our knowledge, that was a decision that Cody had not yet made, but how to get him to understand this? Interestingly, just a few weeks ago, we'd discussed our mutual concern that he had not yet made this decision. The other kids were each between 4-5 when they accepted Jesus, so we felt that a discussion was likely coming. We worried that it was something he'd think he'd already done. Sort of the, "well, my family members are Christians, so so am I" kind of thing. And as I had the privilege of leading both Tayler and Clayton to Christ (at the same time), and someone else led Tori, I really wanted Troy to have this privilege with Cody.

He explained to him, gently, that this was not something he'd ever done before and asked if Cody would like to do it now. He was so excited to accept Christ in his heart, he wanted to do it right there and then---on the road between town and the cabin! Troy had him wait until we got home, and then we all knelt around him while Troy led him in the sinner's prayer. It was absolutely precious. Tayler declared that it was the best birthday present she could've gotten (which made me even prouder).

So now all four of our children have each made the decision to trust Jesus as their Savior. We rejoice with Him and are thankful for His faithfulness to our children. It was especially poignant as our children, and their safety and futures, have been heavily on our hearts the last few weeks in particular. We've felt the enemy trying to instill fear in our hearts about them--hoping to deter or distract us from our purpose of ministry that seeks to set people FREE from Satan's bondage of sin. That this took place on the same day we'd both felt the most oppressed with fear only served to bring home in a tangible way to us Jeremiah 29:11. I even wrote it out, inserting each child's name and will pray that verse every time I feel tempted to fear for their futures. Truly, greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Hallelujah, amen!

An Unexpected Burden

During this afternoon's session, a fellow missionary who'd spent a week in Burundi, Africa spoke to our group about her time there. She shared about how the country has been ravaged by war over the last several decades. Many of us have heard about the genocide that took place in Rwanda. But what is not commonly known is that the same battles between those two ethnic groups also ravaged the country of Burundi. A entire generation was basically destroyed. On top of that, HIV/AIDS have spread like wildfire through the country, resulting in even more deaths. There is an increasing population of young widows and orphans--most of whom have little or no income. And many of whom resort to prostitution to provide for their families, thereby increasing the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the country. The church desperately needs help in providing alternate means of income for these women and children. They'd like to teach these women skills they can use, like sewing, to earn money for their families. But they need workers. They need financial supporters. I was unexpectedly broken for the ruined state of the country.

Perhaps a little background history is in order here. My paternal grandparents, Bill & Ruth Cox, were pioneer missionaries with World Gospel Mission to Burundi. When I say "pioneer" missionaries, I mean it just like it sounds. My grandfather was dropped off in the middle of nowhere with basic supplies and a tent. He himself made the bricks needed to then build each of the buildings on their compound. They had no language school to attend to learn Kirundi. No seasoned missionaries to lead and guide them through their initial days on the field. I've heard stories of my grandmother--a very gracious, well-groomed woman--spreading her handkerchief over the dried dung piles the women sat on during her Bible lessons. After a time of making little relational progress with the women, God showed her what the problem was. My meticulously groomed grandmother removed her handkerchief and sat on the dried dung pile like the other women. That simple act bridged the gap between them.

My father was actually born in Burundi. As an adult, he and my mother served a couple years on the field with their one-year-old firstborn: me. I learned Kirundi along with English and embraced the Burundian people as my own. They've often told me that when we came back to the States, I wasn't used to seeing so many white faces. Spotting a black man at either a restaurant or the airport (I don't remember which), I walked right up to him and held my arms out for him to pick me up. Of course I don't remember anything about my time there, as I was only 3 years old when we returned to the States. However, growing up hearing stories of Burundi, Kenya, and other parts of Africa, I've never had any desire to visit the country. I'm the only one in the family that feels this way, too.

So this afternoon when I heard about how ravaged the country has been over the years, my heart ached. Burundi is part of my family heritage. The language and memories of the people and my time spent there are ingrained in some corner of my brain. Still, I can feel a bit of the burden my grandparents must've felt for the country and people of Burundi. I know if they were alive today, they would both be broken-hearted by what has taken place there. I am thankful for their faithful service to the people there. And I pray that God will raise up a new generation of workers and missionaries like them who are called to minister to the precious people of that country. Please pray with me for the country of Burundi.

End of Week 2

We arrived back at headquarters from Clifty Falls late this afternoon. After our emotional day spent watching "Schindler's List" yesterday, we used our evening hours to play games, giving us a chance to get to know each other better. A good game of "Apples to Apples" will do that for you. I can't think of a quicker way to determine a person's sense of humor than a rousing hand or two of the game. (Especially when you've played "52 card pick-up" before even playing the game because someone--and I won't name names--scattered all of the million cards from the game onto the floor when picking up the box.)

This morning we packed our belongings, stowed them in the vehicles, and then completed the last session of the week. In this session, we had the opportunity to view clips from the movies, "Not Without My Daughter", "Kite Runner", and "Trade". I've never seen any of these movies (although as a movie about Mexican children who'd been trafficked, the latter is already on my Netflix queue). I'm not entirely sure why, but these movies, particularly the first, rendered me an emotional mess. Perhaps I should just always travel with a giant Kleenex box with me wherever I go when talking or learning about this particular subject.

It's strange to think that we're already half-way through with our training. Next week I will begin my third week of training and the independent (country specific) study I'm required to complete as well. While I have learned, over the years, a few things about Mexican history and culture, I'm looking forward to learning even more as I prepare for my studies. I'm also anticipating, yet dreading, the research I'll need to do on human trafficking in Mexico. I've recently become aware that it is actually happening. Sometimes I think it would be much easier to bury my head in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. Like ostriches. But I can't. God has called me specifically to the people of Mexico City. And I believe He has recently called me to service in this particular ministry. So as much as I want to pretend it doesn't exist, I know that it does. And I know that something must be done about it. The church must learn about it and how they can stop it. I believe God is laying this on my shoulders. Please pray with me that He will show me exactly what He wants me to do. Pray that doors are opened for me to be able to share with the churches and possibly even the seminary students about this issue.

Week Two - Days One and Two

It's the second week of my anti-human trafficking training, and we are on "retreat" at the hotel at Clifty Falls state park. (All this means is that the other conference rooms at OMS headquarters were previously booked, so we came off campus for our week's sessions.) It really is a beautiful setting. We're about ten minutes or so from Kentucky. If I look from the far right corner of my bedroom window, I can see a tip of the Ohio River in the distance. (The view of the river is spectacular from the dining room windows. If the weather were a tad warmer, I would definitely enjoy exploring the grounds and visiting the many falls in this state park. Another time.)

Yesterday afternoon after our mid-afternoon arrival, Shirley had a great object lesson for us on clay pots. She gave us each a small clay pot, told us to break them, and then write encouraging notes and scriptures on the pieces. We are then going to glue them back together so that we'll have a visual reminder that the people we are ministering to are broken....but who have, hopefully, been restored through the grace and saving mercy of Jesus Christ. I was reminded that whole clay vessels do not make the best lanterns. They're too dense for the light to seep through. But clay vessels that have been broken filter the light much better. Through these transformed, redeemed lives that were once broken, we can see fully see God's mercies. What He's brought them through to become the Light-infused individuals they have become. I'm also reminded that my heart must continually be broken for these people. A broken heart encompasses more compassion than a cold one.

After dinner and my presentation on the spiritual and socio-economic needs in Mexico, we watched "Amazing Grace". We own this movie, so I've seen it a few times. Yet, I'm always struck by the cruelty men are capable of. How is it even possible that mankind can treat their fellow human beings this way? It was a theme reiterated to me this afternoon when I finally watched "Schinder's List" for the first time. I cried and cried seeing the animalistic treatment of the Jews by the Germans. Shooting them for no reason. The degradation of their fellow man. The horrors those children were forced to witness. I cannot even imagine the psychological scars that had to have left on the survivors. I think the ones who were killed were probably the lucky ones. Their torment ended. There were scenes upon scenes where children were ripped out of their mother's arms. One in particular where it was a girl torn from her mother. I imagined how I would feel if my own two precious daughters were torn from me and I wept. How would I feel watching my sons shot? I cannot even begin to fathom the things these people endured.

The horrific thing is that these atrocities have not ceased. They are not simply a part of "history". They continue today. Children are ripped from their mothers' arms. People are shot or killed for no reason. There is forced slavery. People are beaten. Raped. Degraded. It happens every day. We can say, but I'm just one person. What can I do? Oskar Schindler was one man. And look what God enabled him to do.

Lord, Jesus, help us to take a stand wherever we are. Help us, as individuals and as a whole, to put an end to the atrocities committed. May there be men raised up who can hold other men accountable. To teach them what it means to be men of God. May there be men and women raised up who will join the fight. To not simply look on from the sidelines. Help us make a difference.

Help me make a difference.